Patrick TrautfieldChumash Auditorium was pounded Friday night with the beats and feet of the LGBT Pride Prom and its attendees, which were anticipated to be somewhere between 70 and 100 people.
Though the turnout was much smaller, the energy rivaled that of any club in L.A. or San Francisco.
The prom, which is in its first year, began as a way for the LGBT community to have a friendly venue to dance, said Daniel Pfau, an animal science sophomore and prom coordinator.
Since Tortilla Flats in downtown San Luis Obispo changed into a karaoke bar, there is no place outside of the campus for the community to socialize.
“We won’t hold the prom if there is a new venue next year,” Pfau said. “A social event is really important. Since we no longer have a place to dance with the same gender, the opportunity to do that is great.”
The prom, which was hosted by the Pride Center as part of Pride Week, also had a prom court competition. Attendees could vote for four people of their choice and the winners could choose their prom “title.”
Angela Kramer, a political science sophomore and “prom king,” said that it was important to have events like this.
“The best part of being gay is the community,” Kramer said. “There is a sense of family because I think that it can often feel like you’re a little fish in a big pond.”
“I think the reception of the gay community on campus is taken better than people imagine,” said Kramer, who has worked for the Pride Center and is on the Associated Students Inc. Board of Directors. “This is a moderate campus, but it’s not an ignorant one.”
Other prom court winners included architecture senior Katie Walsh and art and design junior Michael Rogers, who also designed the prom’s decorations.
Although the dance was part of Pride Week, it was open to anyone who paid $10 at the door or $7 if they bought their tickets before the event.
Many attendees brought their straight friends to the prom, like forestry sophomore Liz Fox who brought forestry senior Kate Napier as her date.
“It clicked for me in seventh grade,” said Fox, who is taking an LGBT literature class this quarter. “I found out I liked girls and it just made sense. I came out as a freshman in high school.”
Animal science freshman Jessica Cresci got involved with the LGBT community from the very beginning.
“I went to the WOW pride social and the Pride Center said they needed workers,” she said.
“If you’re in the Pride Center, it’s a close gay community,” Cresci said. “The community is comfortable, but everywhere else it’s kind of awkward because it’s more conservative and religious than where I’m from.”
Aerospace engineering freshman Michael Dicato attended the prom with his WOW leader.
“I think it’s been so much fun,” Dicato said. “If they do this next year, I will definitely be there.”